Taken By The Hitman IV by Amber Adams
Chapter 3: Bianca
I wake with a start, and for a moment I forget where I am.
Then it all comes rushing back to me and I sit up quickly, finding the kitchen table empty.
There’s no Healer, no Jason, and the worst imaginable thoughts start running in my mind.
No.
Throwing back the blanket, I scramble off the couch and hurry to the bedroom, finding it empty. There’s a used shower towel on the floor, which gives me a bit of relief, and as I walk back into the living room, Jason is coming through the door.
Slowly, very slowly.
Behind him I can tell that the sun is setting, another day gone.
“What are you doing?” I ask angrily. “You should be resting.”
He shuts the door, pain etched on his face. “I’m fine.”
“You are not fine,” I insist, tears gathering in my eyes as I picture all the blood that had been on the floor as I held him in my arms. It seems like just a moment ago.
“I watched you nearly bleed out, Jason. I thought you were going to die.”
My voice cracks, and he hobbles over to me, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“I’m fine,” he says softly.
A sob escapes me. “You aren’t fine! Why do you keep saying that!”
“Shh,” Jason says instead as I place my forehead on his shoulder.
His hand slides down my back and I shiver, breathing in his scent.
Seeing him up and about is a welcome relief, but it also scares the crap out of me. He doesn’t know what I saw, what feelings I experienced.
“I thought you were dying.”
“Thank you for calling Mike,” he says softly.
I lift my head. “Mike?”
Jason chuckles then winces as he grabs his side. “Fuck, that hurt. Mike, the doctor.”
“He told me his name was Healer,” I say with irritation.
“Of course he did,” Jason replies, reaching up to brush my hair out of my face.
“He was sizing you up to see if he could trust you or not. Don’t take it personally. I’m so sorry about all this,” he says after a moment, his smile fading. “I got careless.”
“Jason, oh my god,” I breathe as I place my hands on either side of his face. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious,” Jason fires back, regret filtering through his expression.
“I left you unprotected and in an impossible situation to try and save my life. You were incredibly smart to have called Mike.”
He drew in a breath. “And incredibly brave to let him in. Thank you, Bianca. Without you, I would have died.”
“It’s the only option there was and to me it was worth the risk,” I said honestly, glad that he’s standing before me now, even if he’s injured.
“We are in this together.”
Jason looks away. “There’s something I haven’t told you, Bianca.”
My lips part and I swallow past the worry. “What’s that?”
Jason sighs heavily. “There’s a contract out on me now that I’ve failed to execute yours.”
His words are biting. A contract on Jason? I never thought that could happen.
“But—”
“But nothing,” he says, his jaw clenching.
“I didn’t do my job. My client isn’t happy.” He matter-of-factly states.
He bites out the word client before turning away from me. His shoulders are tight with tension.
“And this is actually how things work, Bianca. I’m kind of surprised that with your family’s background, you don’t know this. When a hit man takes a contract, but goes rogue with no intention of completing it, they are taken out.” Jason shakes his head.
“Once a hit man has proven themselves to be a traitor, that’s it for them. Everyone knows they can’t be trusted anymore.”
“It’s going to be fine though,” He says after a few moments. “I’ve got some things in the works, and you will be safe, Bianca. I swear it.”
“But what about you?” I ask, my hands clenching into fists. “You should run, Jason.”
He turns and looks at me, his eyes wide. “What?”
“Run,” I repeat, emotion clogging my throat.
“You can get away from this. You can skip the country.” I can’t let him get anymore hurt than he already has.
He lets out a harsh laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
“This isn’t your fight,” I say softly. “It’s mine.”
Jason takes a step toward me, and this time, there’s no hobbling.
I back up until my back is pressing up against the wall and Jason has his hands on either side of my head, his expression hard.
“Don’t even consider that,” he says in a deadly calm voice.
“I’ve never run before in my life. I don’t plan to do it now.”
“Jason,” I start, but he silences me with a searing kiss that leaves me gasping.
“I’m serious, Bianca,” he states, his jaw clenched.
“I’m not leaving you. Get it out of your head right now, because yes, this has become and is our fight. They are after both of us.”
He pushes away and I watch as the pain flickers across his face.
“Where are you going?” I demand, as he awkwardly hobbles to the door.
“Out,” is all he says before slamming the door behind him. I sink against the wall.
Well, that went great.
Now not only am I in danger; so is Jason.
I’m terrified. I feel like with each ticking moment that goes by that I’m on borrowed time.
What if we aren’t able to get out of here alive? There have already been several attacks and now one that has injured Jason; what if another person comes to attempt to finish the job, then another?
What if there are too many for us to handle? I know Jason is a professional and probably a really good one at that, but one man can only take so much.
Jason comes in an hour later, and it’s clear he’s been doing something he’s not supposed to be. There’s dirt all over him, but he shoots me a look before I can even open my mouth.
“Don’t,” he says firmly. “I don’t need a lecture, Bianca.”
“You need to eat,” I tell him instead of challenging him, saving my arguments for later.
“And I need to check your bandage.”
Jason mutters something under his breath, and before I realize what he’s doing, he’s awkwardly removing his shirt, his bandaged but still delicious torso coming into view.
While I want to be distracted by the fact he’s not wearing a shirt, it’s the blood on his bandage that takes all of my attention. He’s done too much, he’s bleeding again.
Jason looks down as well and sighs. “Mike is going to kill me if one of those stitches have popped.”
“Then we better look at it,” I say, biting my lip. I had watched Mike bandage him up. It didn’t seem that hard.
Jason sits in the chair and leans back as I cross the short distance between us, kneeling down beside him.
He smells like dirt and sweat, which makes my breath hitch in my lungs. It doesn’t take me long to figure out how to undo the bandage, and the more I unwind it, the more blood shows up.
“Shit,” Jason growls, closing his eyes.
Yeah, my sentiments exactly.
When I peel away the final layer, the wound is bloody, but I’m relieved to find the stitches still intact best I can tell.
“I think you are fine,” I say. “I think it might mostly just be drainage. He did mention something about that.”
“Good,” he grunts. “Did he leave any supplies?”
I nod and hurry to get them, finding another length of bandage and some ointment, along with some pain meds.
“Please take these,” I reply, handing him the pills and the bottle of water from the table beside me. “For me.”
Jason frowns but he does take the pills and swallows them, taking a small sip of water.
“I’m only doing it because I know this shit is going to hurt in the morning and I’ll deal with that best with a good night’s sleep first.”
“Are you always so testy after you’ve been shot?” I mutter, opening the ointment, my lame attempt at a joke to lighten the moment coming out as sarcastic instead.
Jason sighs and his hand finds mine. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m being an ass.”
I stare at him for a moment, realizing that there’s worry in his gaze.
“It’s all right. I know you are under a lot of pressure, and in pain.”
His jaw works and he looks away. “Let’s get this done.”
My eyes blur with tears as I carefully smear the ointment on the wound. It hurts me that he’s worried, and I don’t know how to help at all.
For a mafia boss’s daughter, I feel totally useless right now.
It seems Papi did too good a job at sheltering me from the realities of his world.
